Rise
by WitheringFeniks
Summary: In which Rey has always known just who and what she is. Jakku was the best place to hide from her past but when the Force reveals it has other plans for her, Rey has no other choice but to stop running and start remembering. AU/Rewrite of TFA. Pre-slash. PT1 in The Acolyte series.
1. Start of a New Beginning

**Rise**

**Summary:** In which Rey has always known just who and what she is. Jakku was the best place to hide from her past but when the Force reveals it has other plans for her, Rey has no other choice but the stop running and start remembering.

This is a rewrite of the sequel trilogy and quite AU in some areas. While it will include spoilers for all three movies, it will also have significant changes so while the spoilers might relate, they aren't 100% correct in _this_ story.

This story will also include characters that don't appear within this trilogy but are actual characters.

Like most of my unsure stories, this is a tester piece to see if people would read.

(Chapters will typically range from 2000-4000 words.)

Note: Rey has also had an appearance overhaul to fit with her new backstory. Distinctly her left arm, as you've likely sense from the cover.

[Crossposted with AO3]

* * *

**Chapter 1: Start of a New Beginning**

She rises before the sun.

It had always been that way—if she wanted to get a head start, then she had to get up before everyone else.

The desert is still freezing when she rises and would only heat up to an almost unbearable temperature when the sun finally did arrive; illuminating the planet of endless sand.

With sleep still in the corner of her eyes, Rey climbs onto her speed with the intent to make her way to the Star Destroyer graveyard. Her Master's words had made themselves at home inside her brain after their conversation the night before.

("Perhaps tomorrow you should venture out to the graveyard."

She frowned curiously as she curled up beneath the ratty blanket again. "I don't know, Master."

He huffed lightly in amusement. "I think I'll be a good idea."

"Okay then.")

She had struggled to sleep and so he had come to talk and distract her from the slaughter she had felt through the Force that night.

* * *

Rey pried the metal plate open, the rusted screws squeaked as the movement disturbed a cloud of dust. Thankfully with her face gear, she was protected from inhaling the partials.

As she peered into the now open compartment, beaming when she spotted pieces of the Star Destroyer's Hyperdrive was still intact enough to be of good value.

The enormous ship graveyard had here for almost four decades now—the entire structure had stood the test of time. it should the craftsmanship that had gone into their designs.

But the inside was full of dust and the remains of those that had never made it off.

When she had taken off this morning, she'd had a specific piece of hardware she was looking for in mind and so she climbed the tall pillar that had sat untouched because of the grand height. Most wouldn't even risk the climb to get to it, even if the pieces would get them food rations that would last them for an extended period of time without the worry of when their next meal would be.

The notion excited her; in fact, if she explored the Star Destroyer well enough, she would find plenty to scavenge. She knew a plethora about Star Destroyers and she had noticed over the three years she had been on Jakku, that despite how resourceful these ships were and how much they could offer someone, the other scavengers all stayed the hell away from them.

There were daring—_desperate_—ones, but they were far and few between.

Rey could comprehend why; even now, almost four decades later, she could feel the pain and death that lingered from when this ship still soared in the void above that even a non-Force user would feel wary of this place. Up until now, she too had taken to avoiding the ship with her own set of worries, far different from the other scavengers.

Rey pushed the thought aside as she had no desire to linger on them for too long, and stuffed the pieces of hardware into her bag.

Comfortable that everything was secure and nothing would escape, Rey pushed off the pillar and caught the long, thick and loose dangling wire. Her right hand was protected from the sting by a well-made and durable glove.

The thud echoed throughout the empty and sand-filled ship bay when she landed and Rey exhaled as she pulled her faceguard away and her goggles up to take a sip of cool water.

The brunette rubbed her forehead, trying to ignore the way her brain pulsed against her skull. The headache had been bombarding her since last night. It had always been quite sensitive to Force disturbances.

Although this wasn't the first time a mass-murdering had happened on the planet because lamentably some scavengers just took and slaughtered others to get what they wanted.

Unfortunately, last night something new had happened—there had been another Force-user on planet. It worried her; it frightened Rey into closing her connection to the Force further, she feared that if she used even the slightest bit of her power, then they would sense her.

While the user was not on planet anymore, they were close—within the system and in range of Jakku that if she expanded her senses too far they'd sense her.

It _scared_ her.

She'd left that life behind.

She never wanted to be a part of it again—it was the reason she'd chosen Jakku, a remote and unlikely planet to find a Force-user.

It was the perfect place to _hide_.

* * *

"Hmm, ten portions." Unkar Plutt dumped said number onto the counter.

Rey worked her jaw side to side—knowing everything she had brought was worth more, _far_ more, but Unkar was a stingy bastard. She didn't bother trying to argue; she knew he was just going to lower the number if she did.

So the brunette took the portions, stuffed them into her bag and said nothing more; instead, she returned her to Speeder to collect her water tank, intending to refill the thing. She lingered at the water fountain to just have a good drink in hopes that it would help further ease her headache. The pain had slowly been ebbing away as the day had dragged on, she would be fine by the evening.

Shaded from the scorching heat, Rey eyed the sky as TIE fighters flew in the near distance. It made her nervous because she had no idea why they were on Jakku. It was unlikely, but her brain whispered traitorously that maybe they knew about her.

Ochi had been the only person who had known and he had hunted her for a long time before she had finally lost him; honestly, she wouldn't be surprised if he had gone to the First Order with the information about her.

Rey sighed and lugged her water tank back to her Speeder. The sun was on the descent and she wanted to get back in time to watch the sunset while she ate her dinner.

* * *

_"Troubled?"_

Rey sighed and shot the Force Ghost an exhausted look. She was not in the mood to humour him tonight, unfortunately.

"_That bad?" _His eyes crinkled, voice touching light amusement but no smile appeared as he watched the woman. She knew him well enough to know that the expression meant he was worried. He had undoubtedly been watching over her during the day.

Rey at first didn't answer her Force Ghost Master, instead, she peered skyward and stuffed the final mouthful of her dinner into her mouth. Only once she had swallowed the food and she ran a hand through her hair, did Rey reply. "Worried is all." She took a swig of her water.

"_Of what?"_

"The Frist Order are snooping around on Jakku, no idea why but there was a Force-user on planet." Rey answered and screwed the cap of her bottle on. "I just hope it's not related to me."

His expression tightened at her words. Rey saw it and felt a sense of foreboding wiggle its way into her chest, but when she opened her mouth to question him, a distress beeping of a droid snatched her attention. She stood, tuning into the sound.

[Let go! Let go!]

Rey grabbed her staff and rushed towards the distressed droid, who she spotted was caught up in Teedo's net when she made it over the sand dune. She narrowed her eyes, watching for a beat before rushing forward, bellowing: "Tal'ama parqual!"

Teedo and the droid go quiet, attention turning onto her.

"Paraqual zatana!" She continued.

A half a beat and Teedo yelled back with a threat but the threat is empty when it came to her—they both knew it.

The droid silently swivels to look at Rey, then Teedo, then back to Rey.

Rey pulled her knife free as she approached, sawing the net that held the round, white and orange droid. Teedo shouted in protest.

"Noma." Her voice was stern and non-negotiable.

Teedo cussed at her and nudged his beast to start moving, he knew he wasn't going to win against the human female.

[That's right, leave!]

Rey shushed the droid, who obediently fell silent and they watched as Teedo put distance between them and himself.

Finally, Rey knelt before the droid. "That's just Teedo, wanted you for parts. He has no respect for anyone." She considered the round droid for a moment and he titled his dome head curiously. She jutted her chin. "Your antenna's bent."

He offered his helm and Rey removed the antenna and began to straighten it.

She eyed the droid. "Where do you come from?"

[Classified!]

"Classified. Really?" She teased with a smile. "Me too. Big secret." She winked.

He beeped happily.

Rey twisted her body so she could point to the north-west with her quarter-staff. "Niima Outpost is that way, stay off Kelvin Ridge. Keep away from the Sinking Fields in the north, you'll drown in the sand."

Rey stood and turned, ready to return to the AT-AT she claimed as home when the droid beeps wordlessly and followed her. She turned sharply and he stopped.

"Don't follow me." She pointed in the direction of Nimma Outpost again. "Town is that way."

[Can't you take me?]

"No!" Rey huffed and continued her short journey.

[Pretty please? What if someone else comes? No one else is going to help me like you did, miss!]

Rey sighed this time, damnit. She waved him on. "C'mon. In the morning, I'll take you there."

[Thank you!]

"You're welcome." Honestly, why is it always her that gets into these situations?


	2. Jacket Thief

**Here is chapter two and we finally meet Finn.**

**Hope you enjoy x**

**I've created a playlist for this story, never done that before. The links on my page if you're curious.**

* * *

**Chapter 2: Jacket Thief**

Rey had grown long since used to silence—the _loneliness_ of a planet like Jakku. But she'd come to this world knowing just that and _seeking_ it. She left her second life behind—one that she'd been granted after being set free.

She'd made _friends_.

Friends she treasured deeply—despite the unfortunate shenanigans they would get wound up in.

The scarring where skin met metal tingled at the thought.

(The bomb went off—and she was hit with agony. Pure and utter agony. The sight of her arm—gone—blown off in the explosion tore a horrified scream from her throat.)

Jewels and Tony were what she had needed—they'd revealed to her just what freedom felt like.

A liberation she'd never tasted before.

A liberation she had been denied.

But when Ochi made himself known, seeking to capture her and—what exactly she wasn't sure but Rey knew it would not be good—she put them in too much risk to stay. Not for a lack of trying, their determination and drive to help and protect her would be something she'd _never_ forget or could repay.

But ultimately, Rey just wasn't willing to let them. She had left in the night with only a note—she supposed if they ever meet again, Jewels would likely slap her for being selfish and Tony would get this disappointed crease to his brows.

(Laughter echoed in her mind, Jewels falling out of her chair as Tony's face burnt red in embarrassment. Rey grinned away.)

However, Rey would never regret her actions because it was never about her safety.

Rey unwrapped the ratty blanket from her prosthetic arm and then pushed back the other blanket she used as her blanket. Rey swung her legs over the side of her hammock and stood silently. She made sure not to cause any noise that might startle BB-8 from his recharge. The sun wouldn't rise for a little while yet.

She snagged her quarterstaff and ducked out—

It was relaxing for Rey to go through her routine, the rapid-fire movements helped her stretch her muscles, helped her keep them, readied her senses for the day.

Normally before she began, she'd meditate, stretch her senses as much as she'd allow herself too but the First Order was still on planet and orbit; Rey wasn't going to risk it. She knew better than that—she was _taught_ better than that.

She swirled, kicked up sand and twirled her staff until the end met the ground and she stopped.

Rey thought back to yesterday and the way her Master's face had tightened when she's mentioned the Force-user. Inhaling, Rey twirled her staff again; she had the hapless feeling that she was going to become involved—she didn't want to but—

She groaned and shook her head; it was useless. Thinking and wondering what exactly was going to come was futile. Rey knew she'd follow whatever the Force lay out in front of her no matter what, it had never led her astray before and it wouldn't now…

Inwardly, Rey loathed the idea of having to get involved in the fight against the First Order, even if they were seeking to conquer the galaxy as the Emperor had before them.

Flashes of red, black droids and a training room appeared behind her closed lids and Rey rapidly shook her head to discard the images—_no_.

No.

She would _not_ think about that; no matter what.

[Miss Rey?]

BB-8's inquisitive beep brought Rey back and she straightened up, turning to the entrance of the AT-AT where the droid lingered, dome head tilted with curiosity.

"Morning." She greeted and BB-8 rolled out. "I want to do some scavenging before heading to Niima. That okay with you?"

BB-8 beeped wordlessly before he affirmed. Rey smiled and got ready for the day.

* * *

Lifting BB-8 enough to get him into the net on her Speeder was easy for her, even without any help from the Force. It was one of the things she was proud of—her superior strength. She might not have gained it through natural means, but it didn't mean she was going to shy away from it. At least the strength was something that would always benefitted her.

But…BB-8 was a droid Rey knew she shouldn't be helping if she didn't want anything to do with the war—she was _not_ stupid. The First Order come to this planet, are likely the ones to have slaughtered the town of people and she suddenly finds a droid whose mission is classified?

However, despite her conclusion, they were off. Rey wanted to return to the Star Destroyer for a quick and easy hull.

Listening to BB-8 whirl curiously as they wandered inside amused her because while the Destroyer had taken a lot of damage and had sat here for near four decades, it had stood the test of time, enduring sandstorms and scorching heats.

"C'mon, sweetling." Rey waved BB-8 on as she began to navigate towards the bridge with the hopes of seeing if anything was worth scavenging and if so, it would very much likely offer a number of return jobs. Those would give Rey plenty of food, that she wouldn't have to worry about the urgency of scavenging.

BB-8's hesitance was apparent when she forced the door open to access the bridge. He beeped nervously as the movement caused loose rubble to fall and dust to fly. Her eyes landed on the skeletons of the deceased officers scattered around the room.

("—indicate life forms. They could mean anything. If we followed up every lead—"

"Sir, the Hoth system is meant to be void of any life."

"You found something?" Her Master interrupted before the Admiral could speak once more.

"Yes M'lord." The Captain confirmed.)

Rey paid them no mind and began to catalogue what could be scavenged.

"It's okay." She smiled at the droid when he lingered in the doorway, dome swirling around to take in the state of the room. "We won't be here long."

He whistled his acknowledgement and Rey got to work picking some smaller things, mostly computer parts. She didn't need a lot, she had plenty of portions that would do her for the next few days but now she knew this place was a jackpot for scrap.

It made her grin happily.

Once she was satisfied with what she collected and it was safely stored in her bag, she turned to BB-8. "Let's head on out, yeah?"

BB-8 beeped and zoomed for the door, leaving Rey to follow after him with light laughter. The poor droid wasn't too keen on being on the bridge, it seems. Had Rey been someone else, it was likely she would have found it uncomfortable too, but alas, she wasn't and so the skeletons didn't unnerve her.

The journey to Niima took some time that passed by quickly and as they approached, BB-8 beeped worriedly.

"Don't give up." Rey smiled as she released him from the net. "He still might show up, whoever it is you're waiting for."

The line to talk to Unkar moved quickly, but compared to the journey to the outpost, felt slow to Rey. It always did. When it was finally her turn, she dumped the parts on the counter.

Unkar grunted as he examined the pieces but Rey didn't miss the way his eyes flickered to BB-8 and her stomach clenched in uneasiness.

It was a familiar hungry look—Rey wasn't an idiot; it was likely, as she had suspected, that the Frist Order were on Jakku looking for the droid. Because why else would Unkar look at BB-8 with such a look?

"These pieces are worth… let me see… one-half portion."

Rey clenched her jaw, she knew exactly what it was he was doing—he was going to try and tempt her into selling BB-8 to him for more portions.

"They were half portion _each_ last week." She argued despite the situation.

Unkar leaned forward and nodded toward BB-8. "What about the droid."

"What about him?" She narrowed her eyes.

"I'll pay for him.—" Rey exhaled nasally. "—Sixty portions."

Holy shit—that was a lot.

BB-8 beeps worriedly again and Rey peered down at him, then back to Unkar and said sharply: "He's not for sale."

She turned and nudged BB-8 on with her quarter-staff. The Force around her fluctuated, fluttered against her skin—whatever she'd just done was big and the almost happy way the Force had reacted let her know it was _good_.

It was a relief to Rey but made her nervous all the same; she knew she wasn't just going to be able to return to her AT-AT and continue pretending to be ignorant of the war.

She was… okay with that, but it didn't mean she was happy about it.

They made their way toward the tents to get out the hot scorching sun. Rey was unsure what to do now but as they moved, she turned her focus inward and stretched outward with the Force in curiosity, wondering what she should do now and if the Force itself would instil some sagacity on the matter.

However, her focus was abruptly shaken when her arm was forcibly taken and a bag was thrown over BB-8—_hell no_.

She kicked her leg out, catching the knee of the one who'd grabbed her. She swung her quarter-staff and thwacked him on the head; he went down. The second grabbed the end of her staff but it didn't stop Rey was swinging it, her strength superior. The sudden movement pulled the thug around and it was a split second reaction for Rey to bring her leg up and aim for between the legs then swing and hit his head also.

With both down, Rey ripped the sack of the panicked BB-8.

"You alright?"

[Yes! Thank you!]

Rey's expression softened, but she frowned when BB-8's attention was drawn away and to her right.

[That jacket! That jacket! It's Master Poe's! Thief!]

She turned, her sight landing of a male, black-skinned human who stared at them in confusion.

"Who? Him?"

[Yes, him!]

_Him_, the Force encouraged and Rey charged. She watched the man's eyes widened and he took off sprinting.

Not allowing him to lose her, Rey avoided the crowd and ran around to catch up, eyes locked onto the thief. He gave her a good chase but ultimately, she was the faster one out of them. She swung her quarter-staff into his chest and he went down with a groan.

The man freaked, trying to catch the breath suddenly expelled by the attack and Rey positioned her staff so he didn't think of trying to make another break for it.

"What's your hurry, _thief_?"

"What—?! Thief?" BB-8 rolled up and shocked him. "_Ow!_ Hey! What?!"

"That jacket!" Rey snapped and made a gestured at it with her quarter-staff. "This droid says you stole it!"

He glared up at her. "I've had a pretty messed up day, alright? So I'd appreciated it if you'd stop accusing me—_ow!"_ BB-8 zapped him again; he glared at the droid instead. "Stop that!"

"Where'd you get it? It belongs to his master." Rey nudged his foot, trying to get his attention to refocus on her.

He looked up at her with realisation in his eyes, then to BB-8 before sighing heavily and Rey felt dismay settle in her chest.

"It belonged to Poe Dameron. That was his name, right?"

Rey pursed her lips and BB-8 rolled back in surprise, beeping worriedly.

"He was captured—by the First Order! I helped him escape but our ship crashed." He swallowed, adam apple bobbing as his protected his sadness. "Poe didn't make it." BB-8 whined and Rey felt her chest tighten with sympathy as the droid rolled away dejectedly.

"Look, I tried to help him. I'm sorry…"

She watched BB-8 for a second but turned to the man curiously, if he helped Poe, then he must be part of the Resistance, right?

"So you're with the Resistance?"

He blinked and Rey watched his face close—oh, no he wasn't.

He stood quickly. "Obviously. Yes. I am. I'm with the Resistance, yeah." He leaned close and lowered his voice—to Rey's amusement. "_I'm with the Resistance."_

The corner of her eyes crinkled as she hid her amusement. "I've never met a Resistance fighter before."

"Well, this is what we look like. Some of us. Others look different."

Rey tilted her head—there could be some good that comes out of this. The Force did incentivize she chase him after all. "BB-8 says he's on a secret mission, he has to get back to your base."

He leaned closer again. "Apparently he's carrying a map that leads to Luke Skywalker, and everyone's after it."

Oh.

Oh, Force.

Rey felt a momentary flash of excitement at even the thought of meeting Luke again, but she quickly squashed the emotion deep down and instead focused on continuing to play the role of a curious scavenger. "Luke Skywalker? The Jedi?"

Before the supposed Resistance fighter could answer her, BB-8 returned, beeping wildly. [We've got a problem! Stormtroopers!]

Rey moved forward, peeking around the tent corner to see the two stormtroopers talking to the thugs that had tried to nap BB-8. They pointed in their direction.

Suddenly her hand was grabbed, she turned to him glaring. "What are you doing?"

"Come on!"

A laser blast rips past them and he pulled her along. They set off in a run, she glanced over her shoulder to check if BB-8 was right behind them. He was.

They ran, zigzagging through the maze of tents to avoid the blasts.

"I can run by myself! Let me go!" Rey bit out.

"We gotta move!"

Rey managed to get her hand back. "I know how to run without you holding my hand, damnit! BB-8, stay close!" She took the lead. "This way!"

Another blast just missed them and they ducked into a tent the moment the Stormtroopers lost sight of them.

Rey gently kicked BB-8 to get him to back up further into the tent as their male companion went rummaging for something. He groaned in frustration when his search came up empty.

"Does anyone have blasters around here?!"

"Of course not." Rey rolled her eyes in annoyance—wasn't it obvious? "This is a damn scavenger planet, idiot."

Then they paused as something flew loudly in the air above them.

Rey's eyes widened—TIE fighters.

The guy—she needed to learn this name, seriously—grabbed her hand again, to her frustration. "Stop taking my hand!"

He pulled her from the tent, BB-8 directly on their tail.

Rey watched the sky as the TIE fighters appeared, it got closer and closer and closer and—fired.

The ground vanished beneath Rey's feet and she went flying. She braced herself as best she could for impacted. She hit the sand and the air was knocked from her; she groaned but pushed herself to her feet, scrambling towards the guy.

"Hey!" She fell to her knees and rolled him over as BB-8 comes up behind her. "Hey!"

He blinked up at her before his eyes sharpen. "Are you okay?"

Rey was momentarily taken aback as the actual worry that she felt from him. "Yeah." She was going to deny the slight breathlessness of that later and held out a hand. "Follow me."

He took it and they were off again.

Rey led them away from the Outpost and towards the shipyard—the quad-jumper would do it. She ignored the Millennium Falcon altogether; it was too easy to track, anyone could find them if they knew what to search for.

"We can't outrun them!" He yelled.

"In that quad-jumper we might!"

"We need a pilot!"

"We've got one!"

"You?!"

"What about that one?" She spared a glance to see he had pointed in the direction of the Falcon.

"That one's garbage!"

Han would beat her ass if he heard her say that but it _was_ in a bad state—it needed serious repairs and again, the tracking problem. They needed a clean ship.

BOOM!

The quad-jumper went up in flames—never mind.

"The garbage'll do!"

Rey rushed up the ramp, the guy and BB-8 just behind her.

"Gunner position's down there!" She pointed at the ladder.

"Y'ever fly this thing?" He called loudly.

"Uh, this ship hasn't been flown in years!" Rey said instead as she dumped her staff behind her and made sure it wouldn't fly around and hurt her before climbing into the pilot seat.

"I can do this. I can do this." She chanted quietly to herself. She hadn't flown in three standard years; her skills might be a bit rustier then she'd like. It was like her Speeder but so much more complicated; it was also great she had experience with the Falcon too. Thank the Force.

The Falcon rose, and Rey grimaced as it titled and spun, hitting the crumbling archway into Niima. But despite that, it was easy for Rey to fall back into the sensation of flying and they were away, leading the chase with two TIE fighters playing the wolf.

As Rey aimed to take them higher, the guys shouted: "Hey! Stay low! _Stay low!_"

"What?"

"Stay low! It confuses their tracking!"

Rey grinned and released the yoke, having to stretch for the co-pilot controls which pulled at her muscles.

"BB-8, hold on!" She shouted, retaking the yoke. "I'm going low!"

He whirled his affirmative and the sound of him stabilizing himself followed.

Rey banked an upward arc, twirling upside down, then managed a perilously low swoop that no doubt kicked sand up and was _way_ too close for comfort.

"I've got this." Rey smirked and risked it by expanding her senses for extra help—she was good but rusty. It was well worth the possible exposure now that she'd passed the no point of return—

And it felt _great_.

Rey wondered for a long beat why she'd seriously thought cutting herself that much from the Force was a good idea—it flowed through her, encouraging and like a pet greeting an owner after separation it stretched over her being, purring happily and welcomingly.

When Rey noticed the lack of blaster fire from the Falcon, she sharpened her senses. "What are you doing back there? Are you ever going to fire back?"

She heard the activation of the gun just as he replied: "I'm working on it! Are the shields up?"

The Falcon rocked from a blast and Rey groaned, body stretched over to the co-pilot side. "Not so easy without a co-pilot!"

"Try sitting in this thing!"

Rey chuckled despite everything and heard the blaster fire finally, but he missed. A blast hit the Falcon's shield and Rey grimaced.

"We need cover, quick!"

Rey pulled more appropriate switches. "We're about to get some!"

The Star Destroyer graveyard would be the perfect opportunity.

The Falcon sped passed a rock formation and nicked it.

"Whoops." Rey banked hard as the TIE fighters start firing again; the Falcon rattled as it caught the sand during a turn but Rey ignored it in favour of grinning at the sight of the ship graveyard.

One TIE fighter went down and Rey nodded happily. "Nice shot!"

"I'm getting pretty good at this!" He yelled back just as happy.

Rey slalomed through the massive wreckage and the Falcon rattled again as it took another hit, then:

"The cannon's stuck in forward position, I can't move it! You gotta lose 'em!"

Rey cursed under her breath as her eyes searched her surrounding until they landed on one of the Star Destroyer with a large destroyed path that led through the hull. An idea hit her. "Get ready!"

"Okay! For what?"

She steered the Falcon into the rear of the crashed Destroyer.

"Are we really doing this?!" He screamed.

Rey laughed—couldn't help it.

The Falcon slalomed by debris inside the giant ship, and Rey counted the seconds as they got closer and closer to the large broken side of the Star Destroyer.

Seven, six, five, four, three, two—

She made a hard turn right out of the Destroyer, cut the power and flipped the Falcon—they fell.

The sound of blaster fire, the sound of the TIE fighter going up in flames and the pilot's death kicked Rey into restarting the engine and the Falcon roared to life. She steered the Falcon away from the wreck and into space.

Only once they were in vast void did Rey slump back into the seat and just laugh in disbelief. The guy was too and she climbed from the pilot seat to go and meet him.

Rey smiled at BB-8 as he retracted his safety restraints.

"Now that was some flying"! – "Good shooting!" – "How did you do that?!" – "I've flown some ships but never like that!" – "That was amazing!" – "Your last shot was dead on. You got him with one blast!" – "You set me up for it!" – "It was perfect!" – "That was pretty good."

The duo stopped, staring at one another in excitement, adrenaline rush finally coming to an end.

Rey noted—was mystified at—the camaraderie between them.

[What now, miss Rey?]

Rey turned to BB-8 and knelt. "You're okay. He's with the Resistance. He'd going to get you home. We both will." Now that the danger was at bay for now, Rey could finally ask what had been bothering her. She turned to the guy. "I don't know your name."

"Finn. What's yours?" Finn's emotions fluctuated happily around him.

"I'm Rey." She smiled, he returned it.


	3. Familiar Faces

**You guys get some Kylo ;)**

**I've also changed the way BB-8's speech is presented.**

**A few minor edits to the first two chapters, but nothing major.**

* * *

**Chapter 3: Familiar Faces**

He knew what he had felt—a Force-user; an _experienced_ one at that.

A Force-user Kylo Ren did _not_ know of.

That lack of knowledge infuriated him because this user had been sitting right under his nose for the last near fourty standard hours and yet, only now? Only now does he senses them? Only now does he feel their Force-presence as they made their oh-so great escape from the planet? Because it can't be anything other than that.

This Force-user was helping the droid, he concluded easily, and it made him angrier because this unknown had helped that damn droid with the map to Skywalker _escape_.

Kylo stilled as the Force around him tremored excitedly. What?

Curious, he had never felt such a reaction before, it seemed to him as if the Dark Side was _rejoicing_— jubilant that the user had revealed themselves. Before he could examine the reaction he was brought from his thoughts when the door hissed open, and a lieutenant that reeked of fear stepped in.

Ah, a report; a report of how they were utterly thwarted at completing such a simple mission of securing a damn droid.

"Sir." He hesitated for a beat. "We were unable to acquire the droid of Jakku… It escaped capture aboard a stolen Corellian YT model freighter."

Kylo exhaled—a Corellian YT model.

"What else?"

"We have no confirmation, but we believe FN-2187 may have been helped in the escape—"

_Traitor_, the Force howled in their shared fury.

His lightsabre hissed into being, crackling as he swiped at the console in an attempt to eschew from attacking the man instead. That damn _traitorous_ Stormtrooper.

He took a beat to compose himself. "Anything more?"

"The two—the two were accompanied by a woman."

_YES_, _her!_ The Force shrieked.

Kylo's hand shot out, violently dragging the lieutenant to his hand, where he tightened his grip. "_What_ woman?"

* * *

The burst of steam from beneath the grating made them jump apart and Rey grimaced. "Help me with this, quickly!"

They lifted the grating and slid it to the side, which allowed Rey to jump down into the hole to inspect what exactly had caused the explosion of steam. Rey knew that no doubt everything that they had just done had put even more stress on top of the already unfortunate condition the Falcon was in.

Despite how Han cherished the Falcon, he could never get her into perfect working order—it would have required a lot of credits which he didn't exactly own.

Being unused and sitting collecting dust for how ever many years Unkar had held ownership of it was just asking for complications—Rey hadn't been lying when she'd told Finn the Falcon was a piece of garbage; it was a pile of metal just waiting for the disastrous moment it couldn't take anymore.

"What's going on?" Finn asked, panicked.

The emergency alarm started to blare.

Rey popped her head up with another grimace. "It's the motivator." She pointed to the box of tools behind Finn. "Grab me a Harris wrench—check in there."

Rey ducked back down and reached in to try and find a way she'd be able to get to it and fix the pip.

"How bad is it?" Finn's voice hadn't lost the panic.

"If we wanna live, not good." Rey answered truthfully. Finn's fear spiked again; perhaps she shouldn't have said that—it was always annoying to pick up on more negative emotions. While she'd long since learnt to separate her own emotions with others so that it did not affect her, it was always a hassle having other feelings bombarding her.

"They're hunting for us now, we gotta get outta this system!"

Rey emerged again so she could take the wrench. She bit back a sigh, suddenly hit with the realisation that Finn wasn't actually with the Resistance and thus had no idea where exactly their base was currently located—and that he didn't understand they had more important things to do this very second.

"BB-8 said the location of the Resistance Base is 'need to know', if I'm taking you there, I need to know!"

He threw her the Harris wrench and Rey ducked back down to give Finn some time to hopefully get BB-8 to give the location. She bit back another sigh, an exhausted one this time.

Rey absently listened as Finn whispered to BB-8. She tried to give Finn as much time as possible before she had to absolutely go up and get a different tool. But when she can't any longer, she poked her head up for a third time. "Pilex driver, hurry!"

Finn moved back to the toolbox.

"So, where's your base?"

Finn not so subtly gestured to BB-8. "Go on BB-8, tell her." Then as quietly as possible. "Please?"

BB-8 flickered between them.

[The base is in the Ileenium system, miss Rey. Can you get us there?]

"Ileenium system?" She repeated incredulously, brows creased as she popped up.

"Yeah, the Illeenium system, that's the one—get us there as fast as you can."

It was—doable. But mostly whether they could get the Falcon there before something else happened to the ship or someone found them.

Rey sighed. "I need the bonding tape, hurry! I'll see what I can do, we'll likely need a different ship, this one won't do us any good. It's too well known."

"What? Too well known? What are you talking about?" He held out a tool.

"No, that one!" Rey pointed to the tape. Finn turned and began to rummage through the tools. "No. No. The one I'm pointing to! No. NO. _NO_." She groaned in disbelief. "If we don't patch it up, the propulsions tank will overflow _and_ _flood the ship with poisonous gas_!"

BB-8, pitying the man, tipped his helm to the tape; Finn finally picked it up and chucked it to her. "This?"

"Finally!" Rey ducked back down with a sigh of relief.

"So why were you on Jakku if you can pilot a ship? The planet is horrible—no, uh, no offence of course." Finn stuttered.

Rey rolled her eyes and gave him a look, did he ever shut up? "It's none of your business, _that's_ why."

Finally the steam and blaring alarm stopped as she secured the pip but Rey quickly realised it wasn't for the reason she thought it was when instead of the normal lights, a deep red took over.

"…That can't be good."

Rey pulled herself out. "No, it isn't." She rushed to the cockpit and sat in the pilot seat, flicking a dead switch to test what power they had. "Someone's locked onto us—all controls are overridden."

Finn climbed onto the co-pilot chair to get a better look.

Instead, Rey stretched her senses. She felt life—two, five. That was too few for that size ship, she frowned.

"It's the Frist Order." Finn sat down, looking horrified.

"No it's not." Rey waved his off. "There aren't enough people on the ship to warrant First Order."

Finn threw her an incredulous and disbelieving look, which Rey promptly ignored and reached for the two closest life-forces, then straightened up; she knew those two life-forces.

Han, Chewbacca.

"Impossible."

"Impossible? What? What the hell are you—?"

Rey continued to disregard Finn as she grinned, climbing from the chair and started for the ramp.

"Wait, wait! Where are you going?"

The Falcon landed and as soon as she knew it was safe, she hit the switch to lower the ramp. She scrambled off before it had even finished opening to see two familiar people.

Han, who was the closest, stared at her, eyes wide. "Kid?"

Chewie turned from the controls at Han's voice.

"Han, Chewie." Rey greeted with a nod.

Chewie harned happily, abandoning the controls to bundle her up into a hug which Rey eagerly returned. \Hello, little one!/

"Chewie!"

"Rey? What—" Finn trailed off and Rey managed a glance over her shoulder to look at Finn to see him looking very much lost at what was happening.

Chewbacca released her from his grip and Rey turned to Han when he stepped up. "Not what I was expecting when we found the Falcon, but a welcome surprise." He patted her shoulder affectionately, before he eyed Finn and BB-8, the latter of which had also appeared and rolled down the ramp. "What happened? Why do you have the Falcon?"

"The Falcon was on Jakku, I had no way of contacting you." Rey shrugged in a what-can-you-do way. "But—uh, it's—"

Before Rey could say anymore there was a loud metallic _KA-CLUNK._

"Don't tell me a Rathtar's gotten loose—"

Han hurried over to the control panel again.

Rey blinked, a Rathtar?

Finn's horror let her know whatever a Rathtar was, it wasn't good.

"Wait—a what?! Did you just say Rathtars? Hey!" When Han doesn't say anything, to busy navigating the camera controls, Finn continued. "You're not hauling Rathtars on this freighter, are you?"

"I'm hauling Rathtars."

Finn's horror kicked itself up a good several notches—which said everything Rey needed.

Han shifted nervously and turned to Chewbacca. "It's the Guavian Death Gang—they must've tracked us from Nantoon." Rey, puzzled, followed after Han and Chewbacca with Finn and BB-8 on their tail.

"What's a Rathar?"

"They're big and dangerous." Han offered—which wasn't much and just fuelled Rey's curiosity.

"Y'ever heard of the Trillia Massacure?"

"No."

"Good."

Her curiosity abruptly shrivelled up and died.

"I've got three of 'em going to King Prana." Han explained.

"THREE?! How'd you get them on board?" Finn squawked.

"I used to have a bigger crew."

\Much bigger crew, unfortunately./ Chewbacca concurred.

Han led them into a hallway, then several others before reaching a hatch in the grating. "Get below deck and stay there until I say so."

"What about BB-8?"

Han gave her a puzzled look.

"He has a map to Luke. The First Order are after him."

Han's expression tightened as he radiated sadness. "Not much we can do. He'll stay with me."

"Uh, what about the Rathtars." Finn butted in nervously. "Where are you keeping them?"

The creature Rey sensed in the cage behind her thwacked against the window bay and Finn jump, shouting in fear.

"There's one."

"What are you gonna do?" Rey questioned.

"Same thing I always do: talk my way out of it."

\What are you talking about?/ Chewbacca groaned in confusion. Rey bit back a smile, knowing first-hand about Han's supposed 'talking his way out of it'—it usually ended in a firefight.

("This way!" Han yelped and Rey quickly followed after him with a heavy sigh. She ducked away from the blaster fire.)

"Yes, I do. Every time." Han gave Chewbacca a look of offence.

Finn jumped down first and Rey followed, Han closed the hatch behind her. It was just in time for the door at the end of the hallway to slide open.

"Han Solo. You are a dead man."

Rey cocked a brow to herself.

"Bala-Tik, what's the problem?"

"The problem is we loaned you fifty thousand for this job."

Rey followed Finn as he started crawling in the direction of the Guavian Death Gang members.

"Can you see them?" She whispered.

"No."

They crawled further.

"I heard you also borrowed fifty thousand from Kanjiklub."

Rey sighed—typical Han.

"You know you can't trust those little freaks. How long've we known each other?"

"They have blasters…" Rey murmured absently to Finn.

"A lot of 'em." Finn grimaced.

"The question is how much longer will we known each other? Not long. We want our money back."

"Ya think hunting Rathtars is cheap? I spent that money."

"Kanjiklub wants their investment back, too."

"I never made a deal with Kanjiklub!"

"Tell that to Kanjiklub."

Han radiated nervousness and worry and Rey bit her lip, _honestly Han, you never learn do you?_ The door on the other end of the hallway opened.

"Tasu Leech. Good to see you."

The head of Kanjiklub, Tasu Leech, said something Rey didn't understand in a language she didn't speak but by the tone, she knew it wasn't good.

Rey led Finn back the way they had crawled to inspect Kanjiklub.

"Boys. You're both gonna get what I promised! Have I ever not delivered for you before?"

"Yeah." Bala-Tik.

Tasu's tone agreed. Chewbacca harned his unfortunate agreement.

"Twice?" Han rebuked on confusion. "What was the second time."

"Your game is old. There's no one in the galaxy left for you to swindle."

Tasu added something in agreement.

"That BB unit—the First Order is looking for one just like it, and two fugitives."

Rey and Finn stopped dead, sharing a wide-eyed look.

"Frist I've heard of it." Han answered, trying to sound nonchalant but Rey knew better.

"Search the freighter."

There was movement from both ends.

_Oh no, oh no, oh no,_ Rey took a breath and scanned her surroundings, searching for something—anything. Her eyes landed on the junction box fuses. She crawled toward it, Finn questioned her quietly.

"If we close the blast doors in that corridor, we can trap both gangs."

"Close the blast doors from here?"

"Resetting the fuses should do it." And Rey promptly switched them, they sparked. The lights flashed and instead of the sound of doors closing, it was the noise of them opening. The lights come back online.

Rey stilled, licking her bottom lip as a sense of dread filled her. She felt the blood rush from her face.

"Oh no."

"Oh no, what?"

She met Finn's eyes. "Wrong fuses."

"This was a mistake!" Finn squawked not even a moment later

"Huge!"

* * *

"What do they look like?" Rey asked, head twisting this way and that to look down both hallways.

Then the tentacle creature with a large round mouth full of sharp teeth rounded a corner, attention focused on a Gang member.

"They look like that!"

Finn yanked Rey and they ran. They turned the corner only to be met with Rathtar.

It was an immediate reaction for Rey, almost instinctual, as the Rathtar screeched and reached for Finn. Rey Force pushed it backwards until it hit the wall but she didn't stop there, arm stretched out, she clenched her fist, putting immense pressure onto the Rathtar.

It screeched for a different reason this time.

"What the fuck?" Finn breathed.

Rey grabbed Finn's arm, pulling him along as she released it; the Rathtar fell to the ground weakly.

"What the fuck?"

"I'll explain later!"


	4. Map Piece

**It's been a long while, which I'm, eh, sorry about. Life and other stories (mostly focused on ao3) It's a short piece but the next will be longer, this is mostly just to get back into writing for Star Wars.**

**All other chapters have had an upgrade to improve and correct.**

**Some more about Rey too :)**

**A new cover image. I updated it some point during my hiatus, but can't date it exactly lol.**

* * *

**Chapter 4: Map Piece**

As they escape from the freighter at lightspeed—something Rey thought she'd never do, but there they were, doing just that—there was a burst of sparks from above her and she flinched as the Falcon rattled violently.

"Electrical overload!" Han exclaimed, reaching over to flick another switch and Rey pushed herself up onto the co-pilot seat to get closer to the now sparking control—after ducking away to shield her face from another burst of sparks that is.

"The coolant's leaking!" Han added.

Rey froze, racking through her brain for information, ah! "Try transferring auxiliary power to the secondary tank!"

Han nodded, flicking and pulling the necessary switches to do just that. "Secondary tank, got it!"

Chewbacca's howl of pain grabbed Han's attention: "You hurt Chewie, you're gonna deal with me!"

"I'm more worried about Finn." Rey quipped and got a slight quirk of the lips from Han just as Finn yelled back.

"Hurt him?! He almost killed me six times!"

Rey grinned as if to say _see?_ as Han snorted before they both focused at the more important task at hand of stabilizing the Falcon.

"This hyperdrive blows there's gonna be pieces of us in three different systems." He groaned just as Rey's grin widened, eyeing a familiar-looking motherboard. She didn't hesitate to reach for it and rip it out, effectively solving their problem and shutting off the alarm on top of it.

Han's bewilderment brushed up against her and Rey dropped back into the seat, still grinning away as she held up the hardware. "I bypassed the compressor."

He stared at her, simultaneously perplexed and appreciative. "Huh…" He shook his head and, now that they had no worry about ending up dead with pieces of them scattered in different systems, he moved toward to lounge.

Rey followed him, catching the end of Chewbacca's apology.

"Nah, don't say that you did great. Just rest up, alright?" Han countered. He turned to Finn, complimenting him on his work too.

Rey smiled at the awkwardness of it.

Finn, surprised by it, however, stared at Han. Rey could feel the way that Finn didn't feel worthy of the compliment—_curious_, it made Rey wonder why he felt like that. She made a mental note to speak to him later about it when they weren't in any danger.

Ignoring Finn as he accidently activated the chess set, Rey turned to Han as he smirked her way. "Fugitives, huh?"

"The First Order wants the map." Rey shrugged but gestured to Finn. "He's with the Resistance, and I was minding my business on Jakku when I stumbled across BB-8."

Rey could see the way Han obviously didn't believe the Resistance thing either by the sceptical once-over he gave Finn. She wondered if it was that obvious or just something they could pick up because of personal experiences. Either way, he wasn't fooling anyone.

Han eyed BB-8. "Let's see whatcha got."

BB-8 swerved his helm to her, surprisingly enough. She gave him a soft smile and an encouraging nod. "Go ahead, sweetling."

He rolled forward, projecting a holographic piece of a map. An uncompleted one at that.

"Not completed." Han noted as well. "Just a piece. Ever since Luke disappeared, people have been looking for him."

"Why'd he leave?" Finn questioned, finally switching off the chess set.

Han gave a heavy sigh, an old but never-ending burden resting across his shoulders. Rey averted her gaze, mournful at the heartbreak both Han and Leia had suffered.

"He was training a new generation of Jedi. One boy, an apprentice turned against him, destroyed it all. Luke felt responsible and… just walked away from it all."

"Do you know what happened to him?" Finn continued.

"There're a lot of rumours. Stories. The people who knew him best think he went looking for the first Jedi temple."

"The Jedi?" Finn turned and eyed Rey, who smiled weakly at him.

Han hummed curiously. "Rey here doesn't think herself a Jedi."

Rey huffed out a laugh. "I don't. The Jedi have strict morals and teachings. I've always seen them as too restricting. Most would call me a Grey. I walk the line of Jedi and Sith but fall in line for neither. Never will." _Not again_.

Before Finn could question her further—and he wanted too, so curious and desiring to learn more—an alarm rings on the control station which prompted Han to approach it as BB-8 switched off the projection.

Chewie pushed himself up and Rey used that moment to slide up to his side, lay a hand over the blaster singe and focus on healing the wound. It had been a long time since she'd done any sort of wound healing and it was always a weird sensation at the feeling of a non-existent wound on her healing, but it had always been that way and Rey supposed it was just to signify when the wound was completely healed.

\Thank you, little one./ Chewie thanks and Rey gave him a smile as he began unwrapping his arm, no longer needing the bandage.

"We're going to see an old friend." Han commented vaguely and Rey turned with a curious furrow of her brows. "She'll get your droid home."

Han left the lounge to return to the cockpit and she felt them leave lightspeed. She followed after Han, curious about where exactly he had brought them and she was met with the sight of green.

Lush green trees, beautiful blue sky and deep blue lakes.

She slides into the Co-pilot seat in awe.

It had been so long since she'd seen anything so—_beautiful_.

She had spent three years on Jakku—on a planet full of never-ending sand and scorching heat, unforgiving terrain and some of the worst people.

She had been prepared to spend the rest of her life on Jakku and she'd never realised the extent of her longing until it was in front of her.

"You okay?" Han questioned softly when he saw the astonishment on her face.

Rey choked. "I haven't seen so much green in years."

He gently squeezes her shoulder in silent reassurance.

When they fly over a mountain, a familiar-looking castle cantina appeared. "Maz?"

Han's lips quirk upwards. "You've only met her a few times, right?"

Rey nodded. "Just after you guys found me and she helped set me up when I went off on my own."

"About that." Han sat back, eyes falling onto her robotic arm. "What exactly did you get yourself wound up in?"

She grinned sheepishly. "I might have joined a guild… of assassins-slash-bounty hunters."

He gives her a deadpan look. "Seriously? Out of everything, you become an _assassin_?"

Rey shrugged unapologetically and he shook his head in disbelief. Honestly.

Unbelievable and yet, so very Rey.

* * *

The second the Falcon lands, Rey is the first off the ship. Rushing up to the edge of the lake to just breath in the clean and fresh air she'd missed.

Distant birds chirped, the soft rippling of water…

She grinned, eyes stinging. If she's ever going to strand herself again, it's going to be on a planet full of green. Never again.

Han makes his way off the Falcon next, slowly approaching Rey. He offers the silver blaster in his hand and Rey took, did a quick once over before tucking it into her belt for safekeeping.

Neither speak for a good few moments, just enjoying the peaceful view before them.

"You know, there's space on the Falcon." Han hinted. "Especially when the droid gets delivered to the Resistance."

Rey grinned. "You offering me a job?"

"Wouldn't pay much but yeah." Han joked.

Rey's grin turned into a soft wistful smile. "If only."

Han turned to her, brows furrowed. "You can, you know. You have no obligations to fight."

Rey ran her tongue over her bottom lip and exhaled. "I follow the will of the Force, Han. It's been hinting to join, or at least see BB-8 all the way to them."

"Can't you do something for yourself?"

"I joined a guild of assassins." She teased, corners of her eyes crinkling as she smiled again. "The Force didn't push me into anything there."

Han rolled his eyes. "Assassins, honestly—what were you thinking?"

"I was thinking I could do a lot. The group were specific in the contracts they chose. They gave me a sense of freedom. A sense of person. I made friends, people I'll spend years missing. But this call isn't something I can ignore. It's…" She trailed off, unsure how to word it. "It's a calling of sorts. This is what I must do."

Han sighed heavily in disinclination but nodded in acceptance. "Okay. But just because some mystical force says something doesn't mean you have to jackshit, kiddo."

Rey laughed—a full head thrown back, hearty laugh. It felt so good, so unrestrained, to laugh like that. She'd had little reason to laugh these last few years.

She caught Han's smile at her laugh before he turned to Chewbacca. "Chewie, check out the ship as best you can."

Chewie harned his acknowledgement and Rey trailed after Han with BB-8 and Finn hurrying to catch up to them.

The minute walk led them to an archway into a courtyard entrance, which Rey glanced up at, noticing the statue covered in fabric of Maz at the top. She smiled, amused.

"Solo, why are we here again?" Finn questioned and Rey cocked a brow at the surname.

"To get your droid on a clean ship."

"Clean? What do you mean by a clean ship? Rey mentioned it earlier."

"It means the Falcon is too well know and traceable to be of use in getting BB-8 to the Resistance without endangering all of us." Rey answered.

Han nodded, pointing to her. "She's got it. Do you think it was luck that Chewie and I found the Falcon? If we can find it on our scanners, the First Order's not far behind. Want to get BB-8 to the Resistance? Maz Kanata is our best bet."

Nervously, Finn asked: "We can trust her, right?"

"Relax, kid. She's run this watering hole for a thousand years. Maz is a bit of an acquired taste, so let me do the talking. And whatever you do, don't stare."

Rey snorted at Finn's confused expression. "He's teasing. She's just a bit all around ecstatic but very wise."

The door slides open at their approach and music filled their ears. It was crowded with all sort of people from all sorts of places. Rey smiled at the sight— cantinas were always so lively. She'd missed being able to go to them.

When they step into the building, however, they were noticed immediately by Maz, making Rey grin.

"Han Solo!"

The cantina fell into silence and Han nervously looked about which just fuelled Rey's amusement.


	5. Vision

**So here's chapter five, quite happy with this one. We start to really see some original pieces coming through now ;)**

**Hope you like what I've decided to change :)**

**There is a few reference pieces on my page for Rey, if you're curious about her clothes. I've already got her outfits for TLJ and TROS planned out ^^'**

**I don't think I've mentioned it either, but I bumped Rey's age up to 30. When I planning this story I found out Rey was 18 in TFA, and Ben is at least thirty. But that isn't the reason I changed her age.**

* * *

**Chapter 5: **Vision

("Well, aren't you just a ray of sunshine?" Han scoffed.

"I like that."

"Like what?"

"Rey. I like Rey. I want to be Rey."

"Rey it is then." Luke smiled.)

("Hello, young one." The alien greeted with a smile, Rey could feel the way the Force swirled around the woman. It was warm and welcoming, she could sense the alien harboured no ill will.

Yes, she could trust this Force-sensitive. She knew she could.

The Force trembled softly, happily, inside at her decision.

"Hi." Rey greeted shyly, stepping out from behind Luke.)

Han awkwardly raised a hand and waved. "Hey, Maz!"

Slowly everyone goes back to what they had been doing, paying them little attention as Maz walked over, eyeing Han and demanded: "Where's my boyfriend?"

"Chewie's working on the Falcon."

"I like that Wookiee." Maz smiled before growing seriously, a faint look of annoyance forming as she waved them to follow after her. "I assume you need something. Desperately. Let's get to it."

Maz turned to look at Rey. "That reminds me, how are you, my dear? It had been quite some time since we last saw each other."

Rey offered a smile. "Quite a lot has happened. I'll be more than happy to tell you later if you'd like."

"I would very much like to know."

Maz led them to an empty table, where fresh fruit was brought to them by a purple Twi'lek.

"So, what exactly is your reason for being here Han?"

"It's the droid." He gestured to BB-8 who rolled closer to Maz when she peered down at him. "He's in possession of a map to Luke."

Maz sat back. "Hmm, a map to Skywalker himself? You really are right back in the mess."

"Maz." Han stressed. "I need you to get this droid to Leia."

She smiled. "No. You've been running away from this fight for too long. Han, nyakee nago wadda. Go home!"

Rey hid her smile in the fruit she's picked up to nibble at.

Han shook his head in denial. "Leia doesn't want to see me."

Finn spoke up this time. "Please, we came here for your help."

Maz tilted her head at Finn curiously.

When she doesn't say something, Finn gets a burst of frustration. "Look. There's no chance we haven't been recognized already. I bet you the First Order is on their way right—

Finn stops short when Maz adjusting her goggles, scrutinizing him—her eyes get huge.

Rey hides her smile again, she'd always enjoyed seeing Maz examine people.

"What's this? What are you doing?"

Maz adjusts the goggles again. Her eyes get impossibly bigger. She hoists herself on the tabletop, knocking over food and plates, crawling towards Finn. Who leans back, looking to Han. "Solo, what is she doing?"

Han raised his hands with a shrug. "I don't know, but it ain't good."

"If you live long enough you see the same eyes in different people. I'm looking at the eyes of a man who wants to run."

Finn flushed with anger, annoyance—fear. But he leans forward in his seat to glare at her. "You don't know a thing about me. Where I'm from. What I've seen. You don't know the First Order like I do. They'll slaughter us. We all need to run."

Rey is momentarily stunned—so he had been a Stormtrooper, she concludes. She'd feel the same. All the death and murder. She knew what if felt like to murder others in cold blood.

Maz was unfazed by his words, however, crawling back into her chair, pointing towards a pair of aliens in the corner near the entrance. "You see those two? They'll trade work for transportation to the Outer Rim. There, you can disappear."

Rey wants to protest when she sees the glint in Finn's eyes but ultimately she keeps her mouth shut.

He stands, offering Han the blaster back but the older man waves him off. "Keep it, kid."

Finn walks off. Rey stares after him for several beats before standing and following him to at least attempt to get him to stay.

"You can't just go, Finn."

"I'm not who you think I am."

"Finn, what are you talking about?" Was he going to—?

"I'm not Resistance." He confessed. "I'm not a hero. I'm a Stormtrooper. Like all of them, I was taken from a family I'll never know. And raised to do one thing... But my first battle, I made a choice. I wasn't going to kill for them. So I ran. Right into you. And you looked at me like no one ever had. I was ashamed of what I was. But I'm done with the First Order. I'm never going back."

"I already knew." Rey admitted.

"What?" He breathed, eyes wide.

"I knew you weren't Resistance the moment I saw you, Finn. It was pretty obvious."

He stared at her in disbelief—his shock radiating from him but he shook his head. He'd made up his mind, Rey mourned. "It doesn't matter. Take care of yourself. Please." He backed away, lingering for only a moment, almost like he wanted to add someone else but decided against it, before following after pirates as they stood.

Rey found herself feeling crushed…she thought the camaraderie between them had been mutual, a shared agreement to see BB-8 home, no matter what. But, she supposed, all Finn had wanted was to get away from the First Order, no matter what.

She felt… disappointed. In Finn but mostly herself for forgetting why Finn had been there, to begin with. Of course, he'd run at the first chance, any way to flee the First Order…

So she watched with quiet resignation as Finn disappeared out the door, however—

It was the muted echo of shouts that drew her attention away from watching Finn leave. The huff of breathless and fluttering of fabric. The hiss of a lightsabre and the destruction of droids.

Mesmerised by the sounds, Rey allowed herself to be drawn towards them. She peered down the staircase into the basement for only a moment before moving again, vaguely aware that BB-8 was following her. She moved slowly, taking each step one at a time and the sounds grew louder and clearer, the Force vibrating soulfully around her.

She was led to a door at the end of the hallway, inside was a storage room but Rey only had her eyes on one thing: the wooden box calling to her, or rather what was inside the box was calling out to her.

Ever one to listen to the Force, Rey followed the promptly and knelt before the box, opening the latch and gently pushing the lid up. Her breath caught in her throat, a lightsabre. One that looked vaguely familiar because she'd seen it within Force Visions in a past long gone.

The Force hummed, trembling in anticipation. Rey, not one to ignore an obvious sign, reaching in and her fingertips brushed the handle and—the Force swirled wildly, swishing and all-encompassing. Abruptly her sight darkened, familiar mechanical breathing hit her ears and she's stood within a dark faintly familiar hallway, illuminated only by blue lights. She twisted, heart frozen in her chest—what was happening?

_"You called,_ _Master?"_

There was a scream of agony from somewhere as vertigo hits her, the walls and floor twisted and turned and she hit the ground. The light of a burning campfire brightened her now sandy surroundings.

A horrified familiar voice screaming echoed distantly: _"Nooooo!"_

She watched as a cloaked Luke reached up, pressing his robotic hand to R2D2's dome.

"_Surrounds us."_ An unfamiliar wise and old voice.

Rain. The fire was extinguished and rain fell and fell and fell in the darkness of the night. A hiss of a lightsabre, she turned in time to see a bright red sabre pierce through the chest of a man. The corpse fell, Rey's eyes were drawn to the wielder—a masked being in black. A Sith. A man. A _son_.

"_The Force will be with you."_

She scrambled to her feet, backing away as she stumbled through the mud. _"Balance."_

Corpses surrounded them, corpses of people of all ages. A slaughtering. A mass murder.

The Sith turned to her sharply with intent, striding towards her.

A hiss of another sabre and the scene changed in a blink of an eye. A familiar training room, black droids, her former Master, herself cutting down the droids with her old sabres.

"_You will do it alone."_

The lights above turned red, fading into a darkened snowy forest.

"_The Acolyte?" _An unfamiliar distorted male voice filled with awe.

Rey turned, eyes searching for the one that had called her old name.

_Hisssss_.

Kylo Ren stepped out from behind a rock, so close to her she could feel the warmth his sabre gave off, could feel the hum in the air the sabre produced.

She stumbled, falling down and—

It was gone.

"_These are your first steps, child."_

She was sprawled on the stone floor of Maz's basement. She sucked in a breath, wide eyes unseeing as her perplexed brain struggled to piece together what she had just seen. The ruffling of movement draws her attention elsewhere, however, and she twisted her head to see Maz slowly approaching her.

"That lightsabre—" She started and Maz finishes. "Was Anakin's, then Luke's."

Rey scrambled to her feet, overwhelmed by what she had witnessed; at the clearness of the vision from the Force. Such clear Force visions were practically unheard of. She'd spent years reading Sith Text and even Jedi Text when Palpatine had allowed her too. Palpatine and her Master had been explicit when discussing visions.

So why?

This wasn't her first—not by a long shot—but never before had they been so clear, even when being shown the past. What made this time so different?

"Child." Maz moved closer. "I think you know what the Force is telling you."

Sharply, Rey glared at Maz. "I'm not touching a lightsabre ever again. I don't care what the Force is telling me, that's the only thing I'll ever refuse." She threw her arms out. "I didn't even _want_ to be a part of this, but out of everyone, _I_ found BB-8."

"Oh Rey." Maz sighed softly and it just agitated Rey further.

"I'm not taking it and nothing you or anyone say will change that."

Then she was gone, running up the stairs, listening faintly as BB-8 rushed after her.

* * *

Rey only regained a level head after she'd ran from the castle and into the woods, the rich smelling moss and fresh air pulling her back into her body. She slowed to a stop as a sense of foreboding built within her.

Confused, her eyes were drawn skyward as red streaks across the sky in the far distances of space. Horror fills her as flashes of the Death Star is all that comes to her and then—death.

She chokes, slumping against the nearest rock as she feels the loss through the Force. Billions upon Billions murdered in a matter of seconds. It was worse than Alderaan, far worse. She felt faint, blood rushing from her face as she felt all that life snuffed out in a blink of an eye.

[Miss Rey?]

Rey jumped, when had he—?

"What are you doing?"

[What's wrong?] He asked instead and Rey exhaled in frustration. "You have to go back."

[You aren't leaving too are you, Miss Rey?]

"I just need air, BB-8. I'm not leaving you, I promised to get you to the Resistance, remember?" Rey wanted to add more, but the sound of ships soaring across the sky made her tense and more dread hit her. The First Order.

She swallowed with the realisation that the others were in danger. "C'mon, BB-8." And she began rushing back towards the castle.

The closer they got, the louder the explosions became. The castle had been all but obliterated.

Standing at the edge of the woods, ducked behind a tree to stay out of sight, Rey watched as a large black ship lands. She knew that was the lead ship and—she froze at the Force presence.

She withdraws sharply but she's too late, he already knew she was here. She knew who it was now—Kylo Ren. The man from her Force vision. The man that been on Jakku.

She backs away, intending to hide in the forest when she senses a Stormtrooper to her right. She pulls out the blaster, killing at him before he could notice her.

"Move BB-8, quickly!"

They run back deeper into the woods. Distantly, she can feel Kylo Ren reaching out in the Force in an attempt to locate her.

Further in, Rey slows to a stop, biting her lip before turning to BB-8. **"**You have to keep going, stay out of sight, I'll try to fight 'em off."

[Stay safe, you promise?]

Rey fights a sad smile. "I'll try, Sweetling but I can't promise it."

BB-8 beeps wordlessly before he rolls away. Rey licks her lips and goes the other, she hadn't completely shut herself off from the Force and her ability to hide her presence wasn't nearly as skilled as she'd have liked, but she used that to her advantage in this instance.

Kylo Ren would follow after her with the hope she'd keep BB-8 with her. Or even the possibility of the fact she was a Force-user intrigued him. Either one she could use her advantage.

She could sense him herself and so she kept herself facing the direction he was coming from, blaster ready. She took a deep breath, even as her heart thudded painfully in her chest with fear.

Then she hears it—the sound of Kylo Ren's lightsabre coming to life. Her heart skipped a beat as sound fades out of existence for a second—_there_.

He appeared from behind a tree, she fires the blaster but he deflected it. She keeps shooting, and he deflects all of them. Fuck. She backs away through a grove, making sure not to misstep.

She puts enough distance between them and her eyes catch a steep sloop that would bring her to higher ground. With a soft tug on the Force, she leaps up.

She fires again as he follows and to her frustration, he deflects those as well.

Then he raises his hand and—she froze, but not of her own free will. She sucks in a breath as she strains again the hold, jaw tight as Kylo Ren approaches.

"The woman I've heard so much about."

Rey licks her lips nervously as he circles her slowly. "Forty hours above Jakku, and only when you leave the planet do I feel your presences." Despite the voice modifier his mask had, she could hear his curiosity. "Who are you? To be so well trained, you must have had a teacher and yet, you were never part of Skywalker's group of students."

("You sure you don't want to join?"

"No, thank you. I've learned more than enough, I just want to live now, Luke.")

Feeling more than a bit vindictive, Rey said: "You would know that, wouldn't you?"

His sabre was at her throat before she could even finish her words. He hissed. "The droid. Where is it?"

He was clearly done playing.

But he surprises her when he turns off his sabre and reaches up too—she felt the pressure against her barrier. She choked softly, pushing back against his probing.

Damn, now she knew what Han had felt when she'd done the same to him all those years ago on Cloud City.

Kylo Ren's focus immediately latched onto that thought and—oh no.

("Master, you called for me?"

"Yes. I would like for you to be the one to scour his mind for the information we need. It will make for the perfect test."

"As you wish, Master.")

"You…" Kylo Ren drew back, audible awe in his tone. "The Acolyte?"

Rey tensed further and bared her teeth but said nothing.

(_"The Acolyte?" _An unfamiliar distorted male voice filled with awe.)

He raised his hand again, and this time the unrelenting pressure was straining her mental barrier. She pushed back, hoping to relieve some of the pain when something strange happened, when both pushed against each other's presence, they slid by one enough. She caught glimpses of reports—reports from during the Empire, reports about her, she felt curiosity not of her own when she saw the flashes.

But… Kylo Ren seemed to have gotten something from her as well because he backed out. "You've seen it." There was something in his tone, distorted by his mask, that made a flicker of worry form—like he'd gotten a sudden idea. "You've seen the map."

Damnit. She should have focused more on just blocking his probing than fighting back.

Kylo Ren moves, pressing against her again but aborts the attempt when a Stormtrooper appears. "Sir, Resistance fighters! We need more troops."

He turns back to her, she meets the visor hiding his eyes. "Pull the division out. Forget the droid. We have what we need."

What?

Then a motion she didn't catch in time. _Sleep._

Rey choked softly, leggings giving out. The last thing she manages to acknowledge are the hands that catch her, lifting her up.


	6. The Acolyte

**Another chapter :)**

**Some more Kylo POV then the interrogation scene with a more original take to fit this Rey.**

* * *

**Chapter 6: The Acolyte**

When he had been but a child, Kylo Ren had been eager to learn about just what his family had done—how they had defected the Empire. He scoured for anything he could get his hands on—that included learning about the Sith that had made up the Empire. Darth Sidious, Darth Vader, and his apprentice, The Acolyte.

She'd been no older than sixteen by the time the Empire fell. None had seen her since.

But he learns, after snooping through some of the things his mother had left lying around, that his parents had been looking for her. Notes of locations they'd searched, what they'd found out about her and things she'd left before her disappearance.

Despite how much information they had on her—there wasn't really anything _about_ her.

All they'd learnt was she had some relation of Darth Sidious—how he had found her or gotten his hands on her, was unsure. Her parentage was a mystery but she was strong. By the time she had reached age ten, she could do far more than what the Jedi at that age could.

Sidious had loved showing her off whenever he could. Saying how proud of her he was.

He'd seen pictures of her dolled up in dresses to attend those parties the Emperor had thrown where the people would suck up to the Sith in hopes of gaining his favour.

Whoever had been had her parents had given her good genetics, the younger him had admired, unblemished olive skin which matched her warm brown hair and her Sith orange eyes had been a striking contrast.

She had become Darth Vader's apprentice at age twelve and she began to make her presence more widely known among the galaxy beside her teacher.

He had wondered just what she had seen and done.

It wasn't long after this that his mother had sent him to study the Force with his uncle.

Of course, he'd found evidence Luke himself had been searching for her and when his uncle had caught him reading the information, he'd received a harsh lecture about sneaking into places and reading stuff he wasn't meant to be privy too.

When he'd just outright asked about The Acolyte, all he had received was a clipped: "There is nothing you need to know."

It had angered him greatly.

But now—after all these years, he finally comes face to face with the woman that had once been known as The Acolyte.

He was awed by how she had gone undiscovered for so many years and—she should be older, he knows, she looks too young for someone who should be nearer his mother's age. Instead, she looks as if she'd been born after the Empire had collapsed; as if no older then him.

He's eager to know how—why—she is this way. He wants to learn what it was like to be the apprentice of Darth Vader, his grandfather.

But, the droid was to come first, then he would be free to question her how he saw fit.

So with the intention of searching for the map in her mind, he raised his hand again, meeting her narrow dark mossy green eyes—as if daring him to try again, which he was _gleefully_ willing to do, feeling much like a child again when he'd first learnt of The Acolyte, but before he could, they're interrupted.

"Sir, Resistance fighters! We need more troops." He turned to the Stormtrooper, angered at the obtrusion.

Damn Resistance.

The droid was nowhere to be found, but…he turned back to The Acolyte as an idea knitted itself together—she had seen the map. He was confident with more time he could pull it from her mind. Yes, they didn't need the droid.

"Pull the division out. Forget the droid. We have what we need."

He sees the flash of confusion in her eyes, even if she doesn't allow it onto her face.

He uses that confusion to his advantage, with a swift and powerful push of the Force, he slips by her mental barrier just briefly enough to—_Sleep_.

There was a flicker realization but she wasn't quick enough to fight him, eyes rolling to the back of her head as she collapses. He swept her off her feet as she fell.

She was lighter than he expected.

* * *

Rey jolted awake, jerking in her—restraints? She blinked, eyes immediately met with dark walls and, oh, she remembered now the disorientation had cleared up. She tries to move har arms, but she'd held upright and at an angle in some kind of complex restraining apparatus.

Her eyes dropped to the masked Sith crouched before her, patiently waiting, which wasn't at all creepy. Nope, not at all.

But that didn't mean there wasn't a power imbalance between them. She's trapped, he's not. An interrogation was to take place…

"Where am I?" She questioned. The room was dark, barely any light to see him—which she supposed was designed this way to increase fear—and while she knows the answer to her question already, it still felt a necessary she ask anyway.

There was a long beat of silence before he answered.

**"**You're my guest."

She narrowed her eyes as he dodges the question, clearly, he wasn't going to answer it then. She'd find out eventually when she broke out, she flexed her robotic fingers at the thought. But those thoughts drifted to Han, Chewie—Finn, Maz. Even BB-8. Clearly they'd not found the little droid since they were still going to interrogate her.

"If this is how you treat your guests." She wet her lips, taking each breath at a time. Panicking was useless in her situation. "I'm inclined to inform you that you need to work on your manners." A pause, then: **"**Where are the others?"

She could practically hear the sneer from behind the mask. "You mean the murderers, traitors and thieves you call friends?... What would you do if I told you they'd been slain in battle?"

He's baiting her. Rey knows this, still, there's a flicker of anger—at the idea they could have been dead, or injured, and that he was goading her for a reaction.

However, Rey could remember hearing the Stormtrooper saying the First Order had need back up. "I'd say you were lying, considering you'd needed back up had you not withdrawn. I'd say you lost, in fact."

"I wouldn't say we lost." He stands up straight. Rey takes the moment to realise he towers over her—even if she had not been restrained as she is. But she's confused at his words—his next ones fix that confusion, filling her with dread. "I believe I captured someone of greater value. Former apprentice to Darth Vader, The Acolyte. But, I suppose you'll be relieved when I say I don't know where your… companions are."

It was a relief, but it didn't quell the desire to blast him—actually, she could Force shove him, choke him even…

"You still want to kill me."

Close enough.

The corner of her lips quirked. "I don't find myself all that scared of a man who has to hide behind a mask for others to fear him."

Kylo Ren considers her for a long moment, the Force around them slanting with curiosity and a strange sense of anticipation. Then, to her surprise, Kylo reaches up, unlatches and removes his mask.

He has his mother's eyes.

It was the first and undeniable thing she registers.

Han's nose.

She can count the moles and freckles on his face, can feel the intensity in those dark eyes…

She can see influences from them both and yet, Kylo Ren still distantly looks his own. Rey also supposed, had this been any other situation, had they been different people, she would have found him appealing. But there was something strange, despite all that. She'd only seen young photos of Ben Solo before he had been sent to Luke. But there was something about the man stood in front of her that seemed familiar—like she had met him before. She hadn't. She knows she hasn't… and yet…

"Tell me about the droid." He asks, dropping his helmet onto the table with a loud thud before approaching her.

He was close. So close his Force presence brush against her. It was a strange feeling. It wasn't like any other Force-user she'd met. Even Palpatine hadn't made the Force within her react so strangely.

She eyes him for a beat. She could have some fun with this**.** "He's a BB unit with a selenium drive and a thermal hyperscan vindicator—"

He interrupts her. Rude. "He's carrying a section of a navigational chart. We have the rest, recovered from archives of the Empire. We need the last piece. And somehow, you convinced the droid to show it to you. Clearly no one knows who you really are, otherwise, I doubt the droid would have trusted you with such important information."

A twitch of her lip. "People change. It's a part of life. I am no longer the person you think I am."

There was no denying what Rey had once been.

A Sith. A Dark Sider. She had committed atrocities very early in life—but it was the product of her creation. She had existed solely for Palpatine to use—to point in a direct and slaughter all those that stood in her way. The only light—ironically enough—had been her Master. He had treated her with a kindness she'd never had before.

He taught her, trained her, was harsh when needed but never unnecessarily cruel despite how he was to other beings.

So in spite of what they did, she had enjoyed the time spent with her former Master—as she knows he had as well.

"People do." He agreed easily enough. "But people of our nature very rarely do so, not truly."

She glared and there was a twitch of a smirk as he knows his words got beneath her skin. But he raises a hand and she sucked in a breath as he pressed against her barrier again. For a spilt second, everything stills—there it was again. She can't put a name to it. It was impossible and yet if felt _impossibly_ familiar. It couldn't be, however. They don't work like that… so it couldn't be…

Rey pushed that aside, more focused on resisting the agony Kylo's probing was causing.

(She stared out into the desert, mourning. This was it. This would be her fate. Never again.)

(Coruscant. So loud and busy and so full of life and yet—she truly had no one to call a friend. She knows she's not supposed to have this longing. This desire. This…want. It was stupid and childish—not something she, a Sith, should yearn for.)

"You're always been so lonely..." He croons softly. She struggled, jaw tight as her eyes watered. It _hurt_. It was one of the most painful things she'd ever felt and he pushed more. Like she was beneath weight that, no matter what she did, nothing would ease it.

("Jewels!" She screamed, scrambling to pull the Twi'lek along. "C'mon!")

("You're not leaving, Rey."

"Staying will only endanger anyone I'm with. I'm sorry, Tony." She Forced him to sleep, gently laying him back in his bed.)

(The deep hum of the Star Destroyer would have otherwise been a lull to sleep any other time but The Acolyte found herself restless with recent events—the Emperor had demanded their return to Coruscant. She feared what punishment he would bestowal upon them for the destruction of the Death Star and loss of Tarkin.

Although, Tarkin kind of deserved it. The bastard.

The Emperor had liked him, however. So it was a moot point.)

She snarled at the intrusion on the memory and Kylo Ren hummed curiously. Rey slammed that door closed as quickly as possible, instead opening any other one, desperate for Kylo not to witness anything else done as The Acolyte.

(She watched the sun met the sandy horizon. Already there was a chill in the air. She exhaled softly, body aching for something she couldn't have: touch. Trust was rare on Jakku. Even then Rey trusted even less than—")

(Han makes his way off the Falcon next, slowly approaching her at the water's edge. He offered the silver blaster in his hand and Rey took, did a quick once over before tucking it into her belt for safekeeping.

Neither speak for a good few moments, just enjoying the peaceful view before them.

"You know, there's space on the Falcon." Han hinted. "Especially when the droid gets delivered to the Resistance."

Rey grinned. "You offering me a job?"

"Wouldn't pay much but yeah." Han joked.

Rey's grin turned into a soft wistful smile. "If only."

Han turned to her, brows furrowed. "You can, you know. You have no obligations to fight."

Rey ran her tongue over her bottom lip and exhaled. "I follow the will of the Force, Han—")

"Han Solo." His tone turns mocking and Rey exhales sharply. "You feel like he's a father figure to you. He'll disappoint you."

She glares fiercely up at him. "Get out of my head."

But that just makes Kylo lean closer, fingertips touching her forehead and she could feel his warm, strangely minty, breath against her cheek. "I know you've seen the map. It's in there... and now you'll give it to me." He followed along the last memory—it was a recent one after all. He was likely to find it near that one. Her heart beats a million miles a minute as she desperately fights to keep the map safe—she couldn't allow him to see it.

His voice turns soft, reassuring. "Don't be afraid. I feel it too."

His words, astonishingly enough, give her a boost in strength—she shoves back. "I'm not giving you _anything_."

**"**We'll see." He breaths, peers into her eyes intensely and she meets his gaze just as vehemently.

Slowly Kylo's confidence begins to melt away when she slams up a barrier against him. As she creates more and more ground, forcing him back, she follows and—shoves past his probing to return the action and sucks in a breath at what she senses.

Lips curling up mockingly, she jeers: "You're afraid... that you will never be as strong as Darth Vader!"

Then his presence is gone, withdrawing both mentally and physically as if she'd scalded him with boiling water.

Rey slumps into her restraints and she keeps eye contact with Kylo Ren, even as he looks rattled and she heaves for breath but then he's gone, snatching his helmet as he leaves.

Well, that could have gone better…

Maybe…

At least he wasn't probing her head anymore.

She wouldn't have lasted much longer—she smirks despite her exhaustion. If only he'd tried again, he'd gave gotten though without any trouble—that was how close he'd been.

Although…she frowned—what was the strange feeling between them? Had he even felt it? Did he know what might have just happened? Rey swallows at the thought.

Hopefully, it isn't what she thinks it is.

Oh, Force, what had she gotten involved in


End file.
